Blue Coat Systems says WebFilter database provides IT managers with more control over web-based applications

With enterprise and IT security and management a growing concern, Blue Coat Systems, a leader in application delivery networking, said it has enhanced its WebFilter database to provide IT managers with more control over web-based applications.

Some 60% of all known malware was newly created in 2008, and the trend continued unabated through 2009, according to Symantec.

To provide businesses with the tools they need to mitigate exposure to those Web-based threats, Blue Coat has added four new categories to its WebFilter, which enable businesses to set flexible security policies that protect users from potential threats that exploit web-based multimedia applications.

The enhanced service provides greater protection against Web-based threats with Blue Coat having added 10 new categories to its WebFilter database, including six related to network usage and four related to security, expanding the total number of categories to more than 80.

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"As businesses adopt new Web-based applications and set corporate IT policies around new content, they require a flexible set of tools that reflects current user behaviour," says Nidal Taha, Regional Director for Middle East and Turkey, Blue Coat Systems.

"Blue Coat has leveraged its in-depth web awareness to establish new categories for WebFilter based on current Internet use cases, enabling businesses to implement flexible policies that protect and boost the productivity of their employees."

The additional categories that Blue Coat has added to its WebFilter include media sharing, and culture, Internet telephony, network errors, TV and video streams, and radio/audio streams.

According to Blue Coat, the main reason for this is that web-based multimedia applications have evolved rapidly, and now many businesses use them on a regular basis.

Furthermore, legacy URL categories that do not distinguish between the many different types of multimedia applications force companies to adopt inflexible, draconian policies.